Basketball goal attaching means



Jan. 19, 1954 BONHAM 2,666,641

- BASKETBALL GOAL ATTACHING MEANS Filed March 30, 1950 IN VEN TOR.

BY K-imm BOIVD 80/V/94M 7 goal incorporating the principles of the present Patented Jan. 19, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE V 162,666,641 intern;TnA1 1.coAL ATTACHING MEANS Q 'Al vinB cnd Bonham, Pomona, Calif.

- Application 30, 1950, Serial No. 152,785

This invention'relates' to amusement devices and games, and-'moregparticularly to improvements in the design. and construction of basketball goals. I

An object of my present invention is to provide an improved. device for attaching the conventional net to the ring portion of a basketball goal without tying, in an extremely easy'manner requiring only. aminimum of time, and yet infull compliance with the formalurules and regulations which have 'beenestablished'governing the game of basketball. 1

A more detailedflobject is to'provide a net attach ng deviceadapted to be .permanently attached tothe undersidelof the ring port on'of a basketball goal in theformofya pair of hooks which extend oppositely from apoint of attachment to. theunder surfaceof' the goal ring, but

' both of which open at .a commonsidaso that a strand of the net can be engaged simultaneously with both hooks by the simple expedient'of holding the strand straight and substantially parallel to the lassociatedpo'rtion of the ring, and moving the strand laterally through the openportions of both hooks in a simple, single motion of such short duration that it is practically instan-' taneousv a A further object in this connection is to provide the oppositelyextending hook portions hereinabove referred to, in the form of spirals of opposite pitch, and of such design that their whorls clear the under surface, of the goal ring by'a distance'less, but onlyslightly so, than the diameter of the strands of. the goal net, so thata strand of the net can be forced with comparative.

easethrough the spaee'between ring and hook when engagement or. disengagement of the net is purposely being affected, and yet ample assurance is provided against accidental disengagement of the net. v v

The invention possessesother objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of my invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming a part of thespecification. It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the showing made bythej said drawing and description, as I may'adopt variations of the preferred form within the scope of my invention asset forth in the claim."

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is aiperspective view of a basketball invention. I

1 Claim; (Cl. 273-15) Figure 2 is an enlarged view in vertical, medial section, portions of the figure being broken away to reduce the size of the figure.

Figure 3 is a still more highly enlarged detail view taken through a portion of the goal ring and showing in end elevation one of the net attaching devices of the present invention Figure 4 is a perspective view of a portion'of the under side of the goal ring and one of the attaching devices of the present invention.

Figure 5 is an enlarged view in transverse, vertical section, taken upon the line 5-5 of Figure 1, with the direction of view as indicated. a

In the drawing, the net-attaching devices incorporating the principles of the present invention are illustrated as being incorporated with the goal ring 6 of a conventional basketball goal indicated in its entirety at 1 and having a mounting bracket in the form of a plate 8 rigidly and permanently secured to the ring as by welding so that it extends aft'from the ring 6 substantially-within the plane thereof. A down-turned flange 9 at the after end of-the plate 8 is provided with suitable holes (not showni through which attaching means, such as suitable lag screws ll= can extend in' fastening the goal 1 to'a suitable supporting Wall such astheconventional backboard of'a basketball game.

A net I6 of generally tubular'formation-is suspended from the goal ring 6; and the present invention is concerned with the means whereby the net is attached to the ring 6. I have provided,

' A suitable number of these attaching devices I! is securely and permanently attached to'the under side of the ring 6, so as to permit each of the looped strands defining the top of the tubular net [6 to be engaged within a separate attaching device I1. Each of these attaching devices i7 is preferably formed of wire of suitable gauge'and temper to assure thenecessary degree of strength and rigidityywhichj wire preferably is of circular cross-section so as to minimize the tendency to abraid the cord of'which the net'lt'is fabricated Each attaching device H is of gen- QE YU-S aDEd configuration, vhaving its niid portion 18' rigidly' and permanently secured to the under surface of the ring 6 as by welding. Both legs l9 extend downwards from the point of attachment of the bracket, preferably in a substantially vertical plane slightly offset to one side of the exact center of the ring 6 as clearly shown in Figure 3. Within the vertical plane referred to, the two legs I!) diverge somewhat as they extend downwards, as clearly shown in Figure 2. A substantially spiral portion 2| is formed in each of the two legs Hi, the spiral beginning in that leg at a distance below the under surface of the ring 6 which is slightly greater than the outside diameter of the,spiral. liecause of this arrangement, a space 22 remains between the under surface of the ring 6 a'ndthe uppermost portion of each of the whorls 23 of which the spirals 2| are formed; and each of these spaces 22 is slightly narrower than the diameter of the strand 24 of the net l6 which is to be engaged upon the attaching device Each of the spirals 2| extend through substantially 360 degrees, being composed of a horizontal portion 26, extending laterally from the lower end of the downwardly extending portion i9, and upwardly extending portion 21 and an upper, horizontally extending portion 23. As a matter of expediency in manufacture these portions I9, 25, 21, and 28 may join each, other at substantially right angles, although they may be rounded and merged gradually into each other in accordance with the more usual conception of a spiral without deviating, from the principles of the present invention. It is desired, however, that the outer portion 28 of, each spiral extend substantially horizontally and, beyond the vertical plane includingthe axis of the associated spiral, far enough at least to reach the plane which includes the two vertical portions 19 which plane has been referred to hereinabove. This arrangement is clearly shown in Figure 3; and adds the measure of security tothe engagement with which the net is retained upon the fastening devices. The two spirals 2| areot opposite pitch, as is best shown in Figure 4 with the result that both spirals open at the ,sameside of thefastening device N, that side being theon e which includes the vertical, downwardly extendingportion I 9 with the result that th .'=i :Qf.' h Ri.r .l, st t al y dire t y qw ih ax softh asso e or io o he ring :35 alsotc early Sh in F r V .ecau el f i o u i n f he ach n devic 1- a tr nd-zior thenet fic n be n- .gaged thereumnfwith extreme ease and within ti e, 9 hari a e st al y i tan t-.1 l h i ne sary a in u engagement is for the operator to grasp one of the loop portions 3| at the top of the net at two 'pointsspaced two or three inches apart, the

and-finger of each hand being used so as to enable. him to stretch the" portion of that strand which is between the two points subs anuauy straight. Then, holding the strand substantially parallel to the adjaeent portion of "the. ring 6' it islmoved laterally so that it passes throughthe spaces 22: above the whorls 23 of the two spiralsand below the ring 6. 'This,movement is. continued .until the strand engages .the

proximal faces of thedownwardly extending partion 'I'9,'wh ereupon' continuedm'ovement of the strand in the same direction will cause the strand toflexslightly where it engages each'portion H of the fastening devicepermitting the strand" to 'pass' jaround the; extreme end of. thehorizontal portion "28 and thus, when moved downwards,flto drop into the open central portion of the spiral zontal ortion '28, substantially" positive assurance is provided that the strand will not become dislodged from the fastening device IT inadvertently, as when the net is struck by the basketballduring playing of the game.

Another. detail of the present invention is concerned with the braces 4| which co-operate with the br'acket' a in holding the ring 6 rigidly and in a horizontal plane in conformity with official rules of the game. Each of these braces 4| is rigidly and permanently attached at its forward end, asf'by welding, to the under surface of the ring" iijata pointfspaced a substantial distance from the bracket '8. When the goal is erected for use, each of thesebraces 4| extends angularly downward from the ring 6 in a substantially straight line. to a preferably relatively short and flat mounting plate 42 to which both of the braces M are and preferably. integrally joined at their. ends.' 'Ifhisplate 42 also is provide-d with a suitable. hole through which an attaching device, such as a cap screw 43, can extend, as mentioned hereinabove in connection with the fastening, devices I In order to obtain a greater degree of strength and rigidity and to impart the element of uniformity to the mounting of a large numberof the goals, I prefer to provide a pair or, rigid links 44 each of which interconnects the lower. cap screw 43 with one of the upbrcapscrews 'ljl, as clearly shown in Figures 'lfand 5.

Heweyer, in order to reduce the overall size of thegoaland thusreduce the cost of shipment and facilitate all. operations involving handling of the goal upftothetimewhen the goal actually is to be installedfor use, each of the braces M is provided with'a weakened section 46 only a slight distance below the point i]v of its attachment to the ring 6. Initially the brace is flexed at this section =35 wards again as indioatedat 48, so as to dispose the outer end 5| Of the brace substantially within the planeof the ring iii, indicated in full lines in FigurefZ. Thisweakened section 56 ineach brace 4|, may belprovided byactually forming a port1on or reduced diameter, if desired, but in actual practioel haveiound that merely to bend the metal of w'hic'lithe' brace is formed that point so strains ,the' inolecular, construction of the material that it isweakened adequately to attain the purposes of, the present invention. Consequently, even thoughthe basketball goal of the present invention is shipped in such form that it occupies only a minimum space, when desired to erect the goal in playing arrangement, it is necessary merely. to bend the braces 4| away from the plane of the ring 6 anduntil they take on a form indicated in broken linesin Figure 2. As such bending occurs, the 'fiexure will take place entirely at the portion 45 of weakened section, thus assuring thatthefbraces will be substantially straight and capable of aifording the maximum strength and support for the ring B Where the goal is mounted in its operating position. v 4

I claim:

A device for attaching a basketball goal net to a goal ring comprising a double hook member secured at its mid portion to the under surface of said ring in spirals of right and left hand pitch :both ways from said mid portion with the whorls of said spirals spaced from said ring by a distance slightly less than the normal diameter of a. strand of said net whereby said strand can be forced therebetween to become engaged with or to be released from said spirals but whereby dislodgment of said strand from said spirals during use of said goal as such is prevented, said mid portion extending substantially vertically downwards from said ring and being disposed substantially tangential with respect to both of said spirals whereby said mid portion is oiiset laterally with respect to the axes of said spirals and a strand of said net can be moved laterally between said whorls and said ring when stretched in a straight line sub- 6 stantially parallel to the associated portion of said ring, and the outer end of each of said spirals terminating in a portion extending substantially horizontally at least to the vertical plane which includes said mid portion whereby said strand must be flexed from said straight line and about said mid portion in order for said strand to move laterally past both of said ends.

A. BOND BONHLAM.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,157,333 Snell c. Oct. 19, 1915 2,053,635 Sandeberg Sept. 8, 1936 2,254,507 Albach et a1 Sept. 2, 1941 2,278,616 Kettering Apr. 7, 1942 2,489,174 Cunningham Nov. 22, 1949 2,512,417 Cook June 20, 1950 

